Month: March 2017

Hey, guys I know I skipped Day 4! But, saying thank you has always been a natural thing for me. So, I did not feel the need to deprive my already limited sleep to rant on being grateful.

However, today it begins to get a tad bit more challenging. Today we start the 80/20 rule. So, 80% of the time we will eat healthier and 20% of the time we can indulge in our guilty pleasures (like Red Velvet Cake). The rules are not too drastic and are listed below.

1. Make wise food choices 80% of the time and make occasional allowances for “cheat” foods 20% of the time. The 80% shows you are serious about doing something significant for yourself and your family. The 20% demonstrates that you are honest and humble enough to hang out with the rest of the world.

2. Stop eating when you are 80% full.This helps your body digest more easily. Absorption and digestion are just as important as the types of food you eat. Have you ever heard that it takes 20 minutes for your brain to register that your stomach is full? Eating slow helps you to stop before your full!

I started off my morning with an avocado and two boiled eggs that I seasoned with cracked black pepper and sea salt. It was filling, but I would have rather had waffles drenched in syrup. Resilience definitely cooked in full throttle this morning. Praise to the highest for keeping me focused. I washed it down with organic cranberry juice and chased my cranberry juice with 16 oz of water. So I guess I am starting off strong. Hopefully, I can make this a lifestyle change.

IF you need some guidance there is a ton of useful tips listed below. Good luck! Day 6 will be up within the next 24 hours. Peace, love, and a Dose of Daisy.

Be Choosy. Part of indulging wisely is figuring out what is really worth the indulgence and what splurging means to you. For instance, if you have a sweet tooth but you could take or leave french fries or potato chips, save your indulgences for dessert. When you’re confronted with unhealthy foods you don’t really crave or love, either skip those or substitute healthier foods so you have room for the indulgence you really want later.

Plan your 20% Indulgences Ahead. Every week, go over your schedule and pick the one day or specific moments when you want to allow yourself to enjoy the things you normally avoid. If you know you have a big event on Saturday night that might be the perfect occasion to indulge. Or if you know you have a birthday dinner with a friend on Wednesday, you might want to enjoy treats then. Regardless of the occasion or the timing, planning indulgences ahead of time gives you something to look forward to throughout the week so it’s easier to remain healthy the rest of the time.

Plan the other 80%. Plan your week’s meals and snacks so it’s easier to remain healthy 80% of the time. Make sure you shop for all the required ingredients and prepare to be successful in your planned meals. Think ahead, plan to succeed, and you’ll build a healthy habit of 80% nutritious meals.

Savor Your Splurges. When it’s time to indulge, ENJOY IT. Don’t let guilt get in the way or beat you up for having a treat. Be mindful, slow down, and savor every second.

Look at your plate before you eat. See if greens and vegetables take up 80% of the space. If not, subtract some starches or protein and add more vegetables!

Today I failed the challenge. I drank two glasses of water and one cup of coffee. That was my hydration for the entire day. Tomorrow I will aim for at least four glasses. This will probably be one of the most challenging parts of this challenge because I HATE water. But, I should be prevailing by day 30.

Tomorrow’s challenge is rather simple. It is simply to say “Thank you.” This should not be a difficult challenge if you have manners. However, if you don’t have manners it is never to late to learn. Start your morning by saying “Thank you for the ability to wake up.” Then, as your days go on give thanks for all blessings received and small gestures and favors provided to you.

This challenge should create a positive energy for you. But, keep in mind that when thanking other people they may not respond to you. It’s okay. Remember this challenge is personally for self improvement and cleansing. We do not care what other people are doing. Positive vibes are all we want to gain as we focus on our inner peace. So, kick butt! Thank you for participating with me on my journey. Peace, love, and a Dose of Daisy.

Today ends the second part of my 30 day soul cleanse. I was challenged to give up processed food and only shop on the perimeter of the grocery store. That’s where the best quality of food is located I discovered.

I think today was a success minus my daily cupcake. I ate lots of fruit and veggies. I slipped up and ate some crawfish for dinner, but I think that’s still pretty good since the animal itself is not processed. I felt today was easier than yesterday. Eating clean has never really been a challenge for me, though.

However, I suck at meditation. I have difficulties relaxing my mind and tend to get drowsy if I become too relaxed. But, I am still sticking it out. I take my meditation one minute at a time 3-5 times a day. It helped me out a lot.

Tomorrow will be day 3 on my cleansing journey. The challenge is to drink more water. Personally, that is easier said than done. Not because I am a big juice and soda drinker, but simply because I rarely get thirsty or think about drinking fluids. I have already set me a reminder to water my tonsils. But, here are a few useful tips to help along the way. Peace, love, and a Dose of Daisy.

Tips for consuming more agua:

1. Drink a glass of water as soon as you wake up in the morning. You’re groggy, your mouth is dry and you need a pick-me-up. Instead of going straight for the coffee (which is my modus operandi, don’t get me wrong), drink a nice refreshing glass of water first.

2. Carry a BPA free water bottle with you at all times and/or keep one at your desk at work. If you have a water bottle literally at your finger tips, you might find yourself unconsciously drinking more water throughout the day.

3. Track it. Make a chart and tick it off each time you drink a glass. Do a chart for 3 weeks and you will have made drinking water a part of your routine.

4. Substitute sparkling water for soda at lunch (or dinner or any time during the day). Kill two birds with one stone – eliminate that unhealthy soda from your diet and get more water into your system.

5. When the afternoon snack attack strikes, drink a glass of water instead. You might even find that the water quells your craving.

6. Drink a glass of water 30 minutes before every meal. This is an inspirational practice for me. I find it pretty difficult to remember to do this on a regular basis. But when I do, I notice that I don’t chow down as much when I sit down to eat my meal.

7. Go one-for-one at happy hour. When you’re enjoying a cocktail or two at happy hour or dinner or poolside, try to drink at least one glass of water (or, even just half a glass) for every alcoholic drink you take down. (It’s a great way to prevent a hangover the next day too).

9. Make it a challenge. If you are reading this, you most likely love to take on a good challenge! So if you’re like me and love a little friendly competition, make a bet with yourself (or have a friend challenge you). Say “Self, I bet you can’t drink 4 glasses of water today” and see if you can beat it. You can start low and gradually increase your target.

10. After each trip to the restroom, guzzle an eight-ounce glass to replenish your system.

11. Put reminders into your phone or calendar to drink at regular intervals. Surprisingly, this helps me a LOT! I know it sounds lame, but I just plain FORGET to drink water!

I had a birthday. It was amazing. I stuffed my face and spent time with wonderful people. I got awesome gifts. My favorite one was the movie B.A.P.S. with a snack pack attached to it. I loved every moment of that day.

It was the first year since being “grown” that I did not feel the need to get “turnt up” and overly intoxicated. I shocked my damn self. I looked in the mirror and saw a different young woman. It was not the struggling college student looking for acceptance. Instead, I saw the woman I am becoming. A future forensic psychiatrist that creates.

See I have a dream. I mean I have multiple dreams. I want to write. I want to sew. I want to renovate. I want to travel more. I want to spread my wings and soar. I will do all these magnificent things because I am Daisy. Peace, love, and a Dose of Daisy.

Today was the first day of my soul cleanse. The first step was meditation. It was hard. I never thought sitting in silence for five minutes while taking slow, calm, deep breaths would be such a challenge. But, I was wrong.

The first time I failed. I could not relax my mind. I thought about bills, graduating, work, blog ideas, and random irrelevant things. So, I waited a few hours and then tried it again. I lasted about two minutes before my phone rang and I started chopping it up with my girls.

It was not until I got to the end of my server shift that I succeeded. I was doing my daily hide in the bathroom routine cause everyone is annoying routine. But, instead of scrolling Facebook. I relaxed and listened to the jazz playing over the loud speakers. It felt like it was an eternity more than a few minutes. Yet, it felt so good.

I loved it. I cannot wait to meditate again tomorrow. I plan on letting the meditation come on to me instead of planning for it. That works best for me. I am also excited to see what tomorrow has in store. Day two is saying no processed food.

I am nervous because tomorrow is one of my busy days. I work two jobs and have classes. But, I will definitely try my hardest to triumph the challenge. There are tons of rules for this part. However, Rome was not built in a day and clean eating takes more than a day to adjust to. But, the guidelines below are very useful and important.

I look forward to sharing my experiences and possibly hearing yours. Motivate someone to better themselves. Peace, love, and a Dose of Daisy.

Instructions for eliminating processed foods from your diet.If you can accomplish just one of these steps for this challenge, you’re moving in the right direction! But take the challenge to go for them all at least 80% of the time!

1. As a general rule, if you don’t recognize – or can’t pronounce – the words on a label, don’t buy it, or eat it. Opt instead for the real thing!

5. Avoid products with a long shelf life – the better they do on the shelf, the worse they are for your body.

6. Avoid products that have been enriched. They have been completely devitalized during processing.

7. Avoid food that has been genetically modified or engineered. Nearly all processed food contains GMOs. (1. Download the ShopNoGMO app to your iPhone, or print out a cheat sheet from http://www.nongmoshoppingguide.com/. Both list products—from cereals to condiments to baby food—that avoid GM ingredients.)

8. Avoid products made with ingredients euphemistically described as “natural flavoring” or “natural coloring.” Don’t be fooled by the advertising!

9. Avoid products with added sugar and high fructose corn syrup– watch for words with “-ose” endings such as glucose.

10. Avoid products that add nitrites and other additives to processed meat

Tip: Shop the perimeter of the store! Most processed foods and their tempting, enticing packaging is found in the isles!As you begin to eliminate processed food from your diet, and start to enjoy eating real food that has not been processed to death, you will be on your way to optimizing your health, making an investment in your body’s future and, ultimately, feeling so much better!

6. Eat more foods that are extracted, cultured, or otherwise prepared with traditional methods, rather than with modern industrial food processing methods. An example is traditionally-made (not commercially made) sauerkraut.

7. If possible, eat more organic foods. Organic foods can be found at farmers markets, natural food stores and health food stores, but also at Wal-Mart, many supermarkets, and online stores. The EWG has released the new 2014 Dirty Dozen & Clean 15 Fruits and Vegetable List 2014 Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen

Do restaurants serve real food? Unfortunately, no. Restaurants typically serve food that has been prepared, even pre-cooked, offsite in an industrial facility. It is the saddest of healthy eating facts that this can be so difficult to perceive. Typical restaurant meals are loaded with food additives, especially MSG and trans fats. One third of American calories are from meals eaten in restaurants. So, it’s a good idea to eat out less, and consider it part of your 20% when you do!

It has been a minute. Things have gotten better. I’m not saying that they are perfect, but we are in a good place. We have accepted our own feelings and we have accepted each other’s feelings.

Although, we do not necessarily agree on the choices that the other made we are accepting of them. Why? We accept them because we want to reach our happy median and support one another. We are learning not to kick each other while we are down anymore.

So far, it is working. Wounds are slowly healing and forgiveness is continuing to increase. It is all a part of us letting things go. This is a lot easier being said than actually being completed. But, it is worth every single try and that is what counts.

I am personally working hard on letting the past be the past. But, it is hard some days. I was always taught to forgive but never forget. This advice used to be my motto that I lived by. But, I cannot stand that phrase. I forgave Reu for hurting my feeling and I am constantly trying to leave the past in the past. But, unfortunately, I cannot forget. The unintended harshness felt replays

I forgave Reu for hurting my feeling and I am constantly trying to leave the past in the past. But, unfortunately, I cannot forget. The unintended harshness felt replays in my head on a daily basis. I do my best to ignore it and focus on the good which outweighs the bad. But, that day is unforgettable. It sucks.

So, what am I to do? I honestly can only continue to remain positive. For every negative, I think of a positive. This keeps me going. This helps keep us going. It’s crazy how this thing called “love” works out. But, I wouldn’t quit trying to figure it out if my life depended on it. Peace, love, and a Dose of Daisy.

Today is day one. I will be starting off with meditation after I finish my paper for class. I will be starting off with 5 minutes for the first three days until I fill like I can complete the process without distractions.

For my meditation, I will be finding me a cozy bench in a sunny area to easy my mind. I’m choosing this area because this is one of my happy places. I love enjoying the breeze and am excited to give this a shot.

Below I will post the instructions for techniques. Feel free to comment if you would like to know more techniques or share the aftermath. I will update you as it continues. Peace, love, and a Dose of Daisy.

How to Meditate:
There are many different meditation techniques you can use. However, if you’ve never meditated before, give this simple process a try.:
1. Find a comfortable position to sit where you won’t be disturbed
2. Close your eyes and begin breathing in and out through your nose
3. Focus on your breath. Breathe in and count 1, breathe out and count 2. Continue counting until you reach 10 and start back at 1 again
4. If your mind wanders, simply forgive yourself and focus again on your breathing. Starting your count again at 1.
If you are just beginning, I suggest starting with just 5 minutes a day and working your way up from there. Keep increasing the time until you can focus steadily for 20–30 minutes each day.
It takes some time to build the mental muscle to focus and clear your mind. The first few times you do this, you’ll find you’re constantly working at bringing your focus back to your breath. That’s okay. It’s totally normal. Most of us aren’t used to focusing on something for that long. Just keep at it; before long, your focus muscles will start building and you will be easily counting up to ten without your mind wandering away on you.
I urge you to give the practice of a daily quiet time a try. It will take some time to get used to it, but give it at least this 30 day trial period. It isn’t for everybody, but most people who regularly meditate really appreciate all the benefits it provides.

Today is my baby’s birthday. It was also a great day for us. It was filled with nothing but smiles, laughter, and amazingly weird food. So, today I decided to once again express my feelings about this young chap. It’s only right that if I share the negative tat I share the positive as well. So, let me begin.

1. I love his laugh. It’s over the top yet so soothing.

2. I like when he plays in my coils. His head rubs make my toes curl and my mind ease.

3. I enjoy cooking dinner with Mr. Reu. Although, he does more micromanaging than assisting, he is always able to be found when onions need dicing and potatoes need peeling.

4. I hate when he comes in the bathroom while I’m on the toilet looking at social media. Yet, we have some pretty interesting convos after long work days at this awkward moment.

5. I love how he embraces my siblings. He bonds with my brothers as if they were his own, and even took my Poppa (the middle child) in as a protégés. They appreciate and so do I.

6. He sits on his phone under the covers with the volume on max while I watch my shows. Why? I have no idea, but it’s a new habit he recently developed.

7. He is willing to drive. I hate traffic and driving. But, he doesn’t mind it or make me.

8. I love our grocery store adventures. From making the list to walking down each aisle with me. I read labels and calculate while he attempts to fill up the cart with a bunch of snacks.

9. I love the bond he shares with his siblings. The amount of love he has for them is limitless and priceless.

10. He is selfless. He has no problem going out of his way for others, even when people are not deserving.

11. He bottles his emotions. He keeps his thoughts to his self and sometimes they eat him alive. But, he allows me in and allows me to share these feelings with him.

12. He is a neat freak. He loves to clean and vacuum at 8 in the morning on Saturday’s after I’ve worked all night. He also likes order which goes well with my disorganization.

13. He is super ticklish. I know I can find amusement with the simple squeeze of a love handle.

14. His smile is therapeutic. It can brighten up the worst moments and light up any room. Yet, he never smiles in pictures.

15. He is rude. The east coast in him is a partial factor.

16. He is blunt. This is another factor to his rudeness. However, there is no fog in our conversations because he gets straight to the punch.

17. He watches classic movies with me. No matter how many times I watch The Wood or Friday he is always right there with me enjoying the show. It feels just like a new release.

18. My mom loves him. Although, she is kind to everyone. She shows him unconditional love since he gives me the same. He gives her a sense of reassurance that her only daughter is well taken care of.

19. He wants to build. He wants to get married, make babies, and own businesses and property with ME. Damn, I’m lucky.

20. He is encouraging. He lifts my spirits when I am down. He corrects me when I’m wrong. He gives me pep talks when I slack. He is awesome.

21. He curses like a sailor. I curse like a sailor. It’s not attractive. But, he doesn’t judge me based off of my potty mouth. He knows I’m working on it.

22. We fight. Verbally never physically. It sucks. But, it is part of growing. Relationships are not meant to be perfect and we are far from it. Yet, we are perfect for each other.

23. We persevere. No fight has broken us. We always make our way over the humps on our road to eternity.

24. He smacks when he eats as a way of letting me know I did an amazing job.

25. He reminds me that I am he. He is me. Together we are one. He is my backbone. I’m his rib.

26. He loves me for me. There is nothing more that I can ask of him because that’s the most important thing.
Reubie Reu drives me crazy. Yet, I could not ask for anyone better than him. He is an interesting soul. Together we ignite sparks I never knew would exist. I love it. I love him. I’m happy to call him my baby. Happy birthday baby. Peace, love, and a dose of Daisy.

I’m sensitive. I also take everything to heart. Oh well. Bite me! My fiancé has told me those things everyday since we started dating. Yet, he still does things to make me show my sensitive layer on a regular basis. Both positive and negative.

Since I decided I want to move our emotional roller coaster has been all over the place. But, the overall standing point is unclear. It feels like we are good, but Reu makes little comments that make me second guess. Of course, if he’s upset I will accept that because he is entitled to his own feelings. However, it’s hard for me to find sympathy when thoughts of his words constantly linger.

Although, this was the first time he directly insinuated I was using him. It’s not the first and I can guarantee it won’t be the last time that he will remind me of all the things that he is capable of doing and has done. That’s his thing. He enjoys doing things out the goodness of his heart because he is selfless. Yet, the moment he becomes upset he’s ready to tell the world that he’s the reason why. It’s crazy and makes my skin itch.

But, for some odd reason it is my fuel to move amongst many other things.

Today is starting off as an amazing day. Last night I and Reu had the much-dreaded conversation. However, it went extremely well. I expressed my cause of hurt feelings and let him know that I was interested in moving. He agreed. I also let him know that our love is not changing. But, before I can be his wife and before he can become my husband we need to work on ourselves. We can not continue to hurt each other’s feelings with vulgar and rude commentary will pouring salt on wounds that never got a chance to heal.

We can not continue to hurt each other’s feelings with vulgar and rude commentary will pouring salt on wounds that never got a chance to heal. We have to do better. He agreed. We need to remember when we were at our happiest.

Now, some people asked me “How does moving help with anything? If you can’t live together now then you’ll never be able to do, so.” But, that’s where they are wrong and staying in the lane provided comes into play. See, me and Reuben can live together and we do very well at it. However, since living together we have allowed the relationship to become mediocre. We have gotten comfortable with each other.

See, me and Reuben can live together and we do very well at it. However, since living together we have allowed the relationship to become mediocre. We have gotten comfortable with each other. We do not do the things that we once did to grasp one another and keep each other happy. We just chill. Which is okay, but not for forever? We no longer focus on personal greatness and loving one another. We now focus on trying not too annoying one another while they are on pins and needles. We smother each other intentionally in an effort to receive the same satisfaction that we got from catering to one another.

In a sense, less was actually more and it worked for us. I know this and Reuben knows this too. So, that why we are embracing our plans for change. Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither is a perfect relationship. But, we are doing what we feel is the best at this moment. So, we are good and that’s all that matters. Peace, love, and a Dose of Daisy.

Today was a better day. It wasn’t the greatest, but it was much brighter. Me and Reu held a conversation. It wasn’t face to face due to me being at school and him being at home. But, it definitely alleviated a lot of the pain I was feeling. It made me realize giving up was not an option, and it never will become one. However, his words constantly linger in my head and still bother me.

So, I’ve been weighing my options and trying to think about the moments when we were happiest. The happiest times we shared were when we weren’t cohabiting. So, I want to go back to living on my own until we are officially married and regularly participating in couples therapy.

Now I am not saying that we can not live together and happily coexist. We can. However, when we just had sleepovers our relationship was more intimate. We were more in tune with one another and went out of our way to demonstrate it. So operation find my own place is in full effect.

But, now I have to find the best way to lay it on him. There is no way to tell him that without hurting him and there will never be a perfect time. But, it has to be done eventually. Preferably, the sooner the better…right? I don’t want to hurt his feelings , but at the same time he didn’t value mine when he insinuated that I was a liar and was using him for my personal convenience.

So, now what is the next move? How do I go about telling him? If only I knew the answers I’d tell you. But, I don’t as of now. However, once I know so will you. Peace, love, and a Dose of Daisy.

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